Journal article

Publication year: 2005

Pages: 2015-2021

Journal: The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism

Volume number: 90

Issue number: 4

ISSN: 0021-972X

eISSN: 1945-7197

Open access status: Bronze

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2004-1571

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Abstract: 
Information on the urinary excretion of dehydroepiandrosterone ( DHEA) and its direct metabolites is scarce for healthy subjects during growth. We used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry urinary steroid profiling to noninvasively study adrenarchal metabolome in 400 healthy subjects, aged 3 - 18 yr. Urinary 24-h excretion rates of DHEA did not increase significantly before age 7 - 8 yr. However, DHEA together with its 16 alpha-hydroxylated downstream metabolites, 16 alpha-hydroxy-DHEA and 3 beta, 16 alpha, 17 beta-androstenetriol (DHEA&M), as well as the DHEA metabolite, 5-androstene-3 beta, 17 beta-diol (ADIOL), and the sum of major urinary androgen metabolites (C19) rose consistently from the youngest to the oldest age group. The significant increases ( P < 0.01) observed for 24-h excretion rates of C19, ADIOL, and DHEA&M were 2- to 4-fold in boys and girls between age 3 and 8 yr. DHEA&M, for example, rose from about 20 to 80 mu g/d ( P < 0.0001) during this period. Until the age of 16 yr, DHEA&M excretion also increased to nearly 1000 mu g/d. Patterns of steroidogenic enzyme activities were assessed ( from definite ratios of urinary steroid metabolites) for 21-hydroxylase, 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, 17 beta-ydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, and 5 alpha-reductase. Our results indicate for healthy boys and girls that adrenarche is a gradual process starting much earlier than hitherto believed. Efficient metabolism of DHEA, especially to 16-hydroxylated steroids, may explain the almost constant levels seen for this steroid until age 7 - 8 yr. The established reference values for DHEA, DHEA&M, ADIOL, C19 ( including androsterone and etiocholanolone), and urinary parameters of steroidogenic enzyme activities could be useful to identify nutritional, environmental, and pathophysiological interrelations with the progressive maturational process of adrenarche. Our data may also be used as reference data for the diagnosis of steroid-elated disorders.

Harvard Citation style: Remer, T., Boye, K., Hartmann, M. and Wudy, S. (2005) Urinary markers of adrenarche: Reference values in healthy subjects, aged 3-18 years, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 90(4), pp. 2015-2021. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2004-1571

APA Citation style: Remer, T., Boye, K., Hartmann, M., & Wudy, S. (2005). Urinary markers of adrenarche: Reference values in healthy subjects, aged 3-18 years. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 90(4), 2015-2021. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2004-1571